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Within the Lucky Heights residential enclave off Upper East Coast Road in District 16, a brand-new semi-detached home located at 11, Lucky View was completed last month. The three-story property that comes with the basement, sits on an elevated plot of land, offering many of the rooms within the house with uninterrupted views of the estate.
The home shares a wall with a semi-detached house just to the left. To the right, work is in progress for the building of a bungalow on the adjacent land-plot located at 17. Lucky View. The detached six-bedroom home with an underground basement is set to be completed by the closing in the current year.
The two adjoining land-plots which cover a total of 8,750 square feet were initially owned by one title. The property is located at the end of an unassuming cul-de-sac, close to Lucky Heights, the freehold site was bought through the relatives of a businessman Mr. Wee in August of 2018 for $8.3 million or $1,001 per sq ft in accordance with an agreement with URA.
The site was home to a semi-detached three-storey home that was built around the middle of 2000. The Wees bought this site with the goal to tear down the old structure and constructing a brand new house entirely from the ground up. “We have been searching for a site that would allow us to build a multigenerational residence,” says Wee.
The site located at 11 Lucky View appealed to the family due to its tranquil location and closeness to the many options for lifestyle and leisure on the East Coast. The plot’s location at the bottom of a slope was a challenge from a construction perspective however, the other features made it a compelling choice for the family to move forward with buying the property and beginning the process of building.
The choice was taken to divide the land into two. One area of 3,569 sq feet allocated for a brand new semi-detached house that would be built to replace the home that was upon the property. The second plot, which is 5,181 square feet was set aside for the construction of a detached house.
The two homes are put on the market through a tender process to be launched on Sept. 2. The houses are priced between $20 million, but it is possible that the Wee family is open to selling each house independently, says Haden Hee from PropNex Realty, who has been appointed to manage the sale. The semi-detached house that has an constructed area of 4882 square feet it is priced from $8.5 million. The bungalow, with a constructed area of 5,702 square feet and is priced at 12 million.
Design inspired by real life experiences
The homes located at 17 and 11 Lucky View took longer than planned to finish partly because of the disruptions brought on by the covid-19 pandemic. However they were not in a hurry. Wees were not in a hurry. “We weren’t in any need to build the house in a hurrythat we built], which was a blessing because it allowed us to spend the time to ensure that the house was designed to be exactly as we wanted it,” Wee says.
He imagined a house that would reflect his family’s heritage and experiences throughout their lives that span from their Peranakan origins to their journeys all over the world. Construction and interior design firm Winco Construct & Decor was involved in the execution of this idea and work in the design of interiors to both houses. Nic & Wes Builders was selected to supervise the design and construction of the exteriors of the houses as well as oversee general project coordination.
The final product showcases an eclectic style color scheme. The house is located at eleven Lucky View, the semi-detached home is modern with a few distinct elements. For example, a collection of perforated panels featuring intricate leaf designs is placed in front of the house starting from the second floor and provide the house with an unique exterior and also greater privacy. The family’s private collection of art are displayed on various surfaces, including whimsical works of Chinese cartoonist Hou Xiaoqiang, which are displayed in the kitchen, and along the staircase, which serve as focal points throughout the home.
The most striking feature of the semi-detached residence is the basement level. Due to the location of the house on an uphill slope rather than having a standard basement, which is surrounded by under ground 11 Lucky View is an open basement that leads to a large deck. This pool has been designed to look like the famous sun-bleached cave homes that are found in Santorini, Greece, a area that the Wees have visited during their vacation. Nearby to the pool is an entertainment space inside that is decorated with Peranakan elements, including antique Peranakan tiles laid out across the wall. There is also an integrated display cabinet that has the doors made of rattan.
Nearby at 17 Lucky View, the house is more colonial in style, influenced by famous Singapore buildings like The Raffles Hotel, as well as the historic Raffles Institution (RI) building in a nod to Wee’s days being a RI schoolboy. The home has wall panels that are whitewashed, Palladian windows and terraces outside on the third and second floors, with elaborate balustrades. There are also other details.
Combining the various design and architectural aspects was not easy according to Askae Loh, director at Winco Construct & Decor. “The most important thing was to integrate all the various concepts in a manner that was also cohesive,” he says. He is extremely pleased with the end result, and attributes it to the collaborative effort of the company as well as members of the Wee family.
Built for multigenerational families
The Wee family’s personal experiences have affected the design and style that the properties in 11 and 17 Lucky View In terms of practicality they were built to be able to accommodate families, while having areas to entertain. “We were looking for an area where we could gather our family and friends close,” The Wee family shares.
The houses are both large enough to be a multi-generational residence in its own right, says PropNex’s Hee. The semi-detached property is home to five bedrooms and the space is big enough to create an additional room on the upper level. The bungalow is home to six bedrooms as well as the possibility of a lift and a pool as well as an underground car park that could accommodate six cars. Or, the homeowner could opt to transform a portion of the spaces in the basement into extra bedrooms Hee adds. Each home also has an area for helping out that has an attached toilet.
In the case of the Wee family It was crucial to have common areas that were spacious and spacious. In both houses bedrooms are generously balanced, and numerous windows as well as skylights and balconies were added to give ample sunlight, ventilation and outdoor space.
Compelling proposition
Hee believes that the two homes provide a compelling offer for potential buyers. “At an asking cost of 20 million, for each of the properties it comes out to $2,286 per square foot for the total size of 8,750 sq feet that is less than a lot of houses that have been sold in the region,” he says.
In March of last year, a semi detached house located near 65 Sennett Lane fetched $8.65 million in the form of $2,211 per square foot on its 3,913 square feet. Three months after, a semi-detached property located at 37 Lucky Heights with a land size of 3,229 square feet was sold for $7.52 million, or $2,328 per square foot. In the course of this year the semi-detached property located at five Lucky Gardens occupying a site that was 1,804 square feet was auctioned off for $4.69 million, which is $2,599 psf.
PropNex’s Hee anticipates that prices for land properties in the region to continue to grow in the near term particularly when you consider the movement of the market during the past year, with units with fresh 99-year leaseholds within the Outside Central Region hitting new price benchmarks that are higher than $2,000 psf. “Already there is a reacting by bringing in transacted prices for landed properties within Lucky Heights jumping by over $200 per sq ft in the last one year” He adds.
He is expecting the 11th and 17th editions of Lucky View to garner significant interest. “Discerning buyers and smart investors are aware of the characteristics of the site attractive, such as the aspect that it’s an open-land plot with freehold rights in a highly desirable location,” he observes.
Additionally, the finished semi-detached home and the nearly completed bungalow provide a ready-to-move-in solution for potential buyers, allowing buyers to move in to new residences in a short time. Apart from saving time, buyers could save on reconstruction cost, which has increased as a result of this pandemic. Hee adds.
A tender is open for both 11 and 17. Lucky View will close on the 8th of October.
